QR codes come to the Windows 10 Blue Screen of Death

Microsoft is trying to make Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) errors more helpful through the inclusion of QR codes. As spotted by MicrosoftInsider.es, the latest Insider Preview build of Windows 10 includes QR codes directly on the BSoD screen, which makes it easier for users to get help regarding the crash they've just encountered.

In build 14316, which is the latest Preview build, the QR codes currently redirect to a URL that gives generic advice on how to troubleshoot blue screen errors. Microsoft hasn't integrated the BSoD error codes into the QR code just yet, so users will still have to manually search for the displayed code to get more targeted advice.

However this is a step in the right direction to making BSoDs easier to troubleshoot. Historically these sorts of crashes have been notoriously hard to fix as the errors seen on the BSoD are complex and typically not very specific. On top of that, BSoD errors only usually appear for just a few seconds, which makes it hard to remember or write down the long error codes.

If Microsoft can extend this functionality to include error codes in the QR codes displayed, it will be much easier for someone to look up the issue that caused the crash in the first place. Considering BSoDs tend to be very basic, it's not clear whether this is actually possible, but Microsoft clearly wants to improve the usefulness of the error screens through even just minor changes.

Are BSOD really that common that people need this? In all my years I've never had issues bad enough that I couldn't solve it either myself or with a quick search on Google. The last thing I want to have to do is find my cell phone and try and get it's camera open fast enough to get a picture of a QR code. But I'm not a huge fan of QR codes to begin with, it's just another way to hide the information I need presently and force you to go to a website with advertisement on it that I don't want to look at.

Are BSOD really that common that people need this? In all my years I've never had issues bad enough that I couldn't solve it either myself or with a quick search on Google. The last thing I want to have to do is find my cell phone and try and get it's camera open fast enough to get a picture of a QR code. But I'm not a huge fan of QR codes to begin with, it's just another way to hide the information I need presently and force you to go to a website with advertisement on it that I don't want to look at.

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No it's just Microsoft trying to make everything "modern" so that all the cool kids know how to use it.

Why not add a link to the affected user's desktop? I know the OS just crashed, but if they can get a dump log out, I don't see why they can't add something there too. Of course, that would be assuming it's not a startup BSOD...

This will be useful but only if you have a smartphone with a QR code reader app. Not all smartphones have this kind of app preinstalled. There are also TONS of people who have no idea what a QR code or who don't even have smartphones. Not to mention the people who only use smartphones for calling and stuff like that that don't really know how to do anything more than calling, texting, and checking email. Trust me, I've met people in their 20-30's who don't know how to really even use the camera on their smartphones, and I'm still in highschool.....